Connie was left with a devastating and traumatic injury to the mid section of her face. She lost an eye, her nose, her upper jaw and lip, palate, and lower eyelids. She couldn't eat solid food, smell, or taste, and could only breathe through a hole in her neck.
The Dec. 9 operation, considered the most complex face transplant to date, lasted nearly 23 hours. After doctors removed scar tissue, bone grafts, and metal from her previous surgeries, Culp received 80 percent of the face and underlying tissue of an organ donor.
Culp was released from the Clinic on Feb. 5th. Her name, age, and type of injury had been withheld to protect her privacy.
She spoke to the media briefly for the first time Tuesday at a news conference held at the Intercontinental Hotel on the Clinic campus.
Culp, who had been taunted and called names because of her appearance, asked that everyone think twice about judging people who look differently.
"When somebody has a disfigurement or doesn't look as pretty as you, don't judge them," she said. "You never know what happened to them and you never know what might happen to you . . . . it might all be taken away."
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Geekazoid.
For the first time in over 12 months I wonder about the losers on Neatorama.
For the following reasons...WOW:
-first time complicated face transplant done in the USA.
-first time EVER face transplant includes underlying bone structure (that is WOW to you morons)
-medicine is advancing at a Kurzweil rate and her/here is prof/proof.
-it happened in the USA (fcuk old tech GM)
-only 5 years ago the doctor said 'not possible' now is.
-at work we discussed (Oz) this. No one said creepy, weird, bad shot, wearing some one else's face etc
-doctor cared in non-Socialist USA medicine to get a result
-this is the end result of the FIRST stage.
And really WOW is a foreigner has to tell Yanqs how impressive they are (note: invading other countries is not WOW).
Ok, I give up, you are right. She was/is ugly and should have bled to death as she now looks weird and her husband is already out on bail. Would make the school reunion easier.
The human race makes me so sad sometimes.
Seems odd - an arm's an arm, a face is a face, it's no more me than my (now largely missing) hair or my big toe or my appendix.